Direct mail isn’t just surviving — it’s thriving. In 2025, the savviest marketers are proving that with the right strategy, this channel remains a powerhouse for driving ROI. Amid USPS turmoil and rising postage costs, evolving consumer expectations, and an ever-more complex omnichannel landscape, the marketers winning today are those who adapt with intention.

This year, the smartest brands are shifting their approach — not just for cost savings, but to make every dollar work harder. By embracing innovative formats, hyper-targeted messaging, and seamless integration with digital channels, they're elevating their campaigns to reach new heights. Let’s explore how they’re doing it — and how you can, too.

Direct Mail's Role in Today's Marketing Mix

Marketers looking for return on investment have compelling reasons to lean into mail. In fact, letter-rate mail to house lists delivers ROI at least 266% higher than other major channels, according to the ANA’s latest Response Rate Report.

And it’s not just older generations engaging. Gen X, with significant buying power, continues to value physical mail, and Gen Z is, by many metrics, even more engaged — 72% say they’d be disappointed to stop receiving it. The tactile experience breaks through the digital clutter that young consumers have always known, appealing to emotion in ways digital alone cannot.

The Direct Marketing Omnichannel Journey

Today’s marketing isn’t about single-channel wins — it’s about orchestrating a journey. Direct mail plays a critical role as a conversion catalyst. Whether the goal is an online application, app download, or in-store visit, mail frequently serves as the trigger.

The most common consumer actions after receiving a piece of mail include:

• Visiting a brand’s website
• Saving the offer for future use
• Making a purchase or application
• Researching the brand online

When executed effectively, direct mail acts like a billboard and a bridge — grabbing attention and guiding the recipient to the next logical step.

2025 Trends and Innovations

Rising postal rates are pressuring marketers’ budgets. Rather than retreat and give up the results they know they can count on from direct mail, they are innovating. Let’s look at that innovation across formats, messaging, and the omnichannel journey.

Smarter Formats, Lower Costs

Strategic format changes can make a dramatic difference in cost without sacrificing performance. Consider a major national retailer who had hefty production expenses due to complex mail packages. By switching from a four-page format with a coupon card to a one-ply format, they slashed costs while maintaining campaign impact. Personalized QR codes guided recipients to a mobile app where their individual offers lived — meeting the brand’s dual goals of reducing printed materials and boosting first-party data collection.

Further savings came from tailoring the format to the customer. High-value segments received fully personalized packages, while cart abandoners received simple postcards —still personalized, but more cost-efficient.

In another example, a credit card provider maintained an upscale format while cutting costs by removing the application and BRE. This not only streamlined the recipient experience but aligned more closely with their digitally native audience’s preferences.

A large nonprofit saw similar efficiency gains by consolidating their complex monthly control campaign — which previously involved three vendors and multiple production steps — into a single print partner. This change significantly reduced cycle time, production costs, and operational complexity.

Personalization that Performs

In 2025, personalization has evolved far beyond using someone’s name. With more data than ever at their fingertips, marketers can create one-to-one experiences that increase relevance and strengthen brand loyalty. Yet many are still underutilizing the potential of variable data to personalize imagery, offers, and messaging copy.

A few areas where variable messaging is making an impact:

• Behavioral triggers like birthday messages, loyalty rewards, or win-back offers
• Geo-targeted offers tailored by neighborhood or region
• Product-level customization based on previous purchases or known preferences

Source: Comperemedia Direct

Likewise, personalizing QR codes or links pays dividends. It allows for precise attribution, targeted content delivery, and seamless engagement — all essential to creating relevant, measurable experiences.

For marketers tapping into these capabilities, the payoff is clear. The State of Personalization 2024 study found that 89% of decision-makers believe personalization is invaluable to their business success over the next three years.

QR Codes: Your Link Between Print and Digital

QR code usage on direct mail continues to grow — and with good reason. These scannable links bridge the physical and digital, making it easy for recipients to engage instantly, on their terms.

In the case of the national retailer mentioned earlier, personalized QR codes guided recipients directly to their loyalty app. Not only did this reduce printed components and costs, it helped drive in-store traffic and first-party data collection.

Meanwhile, a leading credit card provider used a QR code in place of traditional application materials. The code directed prospects to a pre-filled application online, improving attribution, user experience, and production costs in one move.

Today, marketers are using QR codes to:

• Redeem offers in mobile wallets
• Drive to personalized landing pages
• Encourage app downloads
• Deliver product videos and customer reviews
• Track and test call-to-action effectiveness

Source: Comperemedia Direct

USPS Promotions: Opportunity Awaits

Many of the brands taking advantage of QR codes and other smart strategies are also unlocking significant postal savings through USPS promotions.

Qualifying enhancements such as spot gloss coatings, unique die cuts, and interactive elements can earn discounts of four percent or more through the Tactile, Sensory & Interactive promotion.

Meanwhile, the Integrated Technology promotion rewards marketers for including QR codes that enhance the customer experience—like enabling app downloads, wallet integrations, or personalized offers.

And now, with the new AI-generated content promotion, it’s easier than ever to participate: simply screenshot your AI prompt and its output to qualify. It's a low-lift way to tap into additional savings while experimenting with creative content development.

USPS incentives can significantly boost your return, whether you're maximizing budget or expanding reach.

Your 2025 Game Plan

Direct mail is no longer a static channel. It’s dynamic, data-driven, and increasingly digital-savvy. The brands reaching new heights in 2025 are doing so with a mindset of constant optimization — testing formats, refining messaging, and connecting every piece to a broader omnichannel journey.

Whether you’re a seasoned mailer or revisiting print in a digital-heavy strategy, now’s the time to reimagine what’s possible. With the right partners, tools, and tactics, you can deliver standout campaigns that not only drive results — but do so smarter, faster, and with greater ROI.

Plan Smarter. Perform Better.

Many marketers map out most of their direct mail campaigns before looping in their print partner—missing key opportunities to lower costs, streamline execution, and improve results.

The Ultimate Direct Mail Campaign Planner changes that. This step-by-step guide shows you how to involve your print partner from the beginning to uncover strategic options that influence everything from format and personalization to postal savings and performance testing.

Use it to spark better conversations, uncover smarter tactics, and identify where early collaboration drives measurable ROI.

📬 Get the Campaign Planner and start building more effective, efficient campaigns—right from the first step.

Melanie De Caprio is VP of Lead Generation at Freedom Graphic Systems.

This article originally appeared in the May/June, 2025 issue of Mailing Systems Technology